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English
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Part 33 of The Acrobat and The Mercenary
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Published:
2019-04-09
Completed:
2022-02-09
Words:
1,754
Chapters:
2/2
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46
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Kidnapped Again

Summary:

Dick's been kidnapped yet again.

But this time, he has a mercenary on his side.

Notes:

Dick - 20

Slade - 65

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Dick heaved a tired sigh, twisting his wrists in the coarse ropes. He had three younger brothers and was twenty years old, yet he still seemed to be the prime candidate for ransom abduction. Rolling his eyes, Dick groaned loudly, getting his captor’s attention.

“Have you called Bruce yet?” he asked, eyebrow raised. “I have to pee.”

“Then pee,” his captor told him with a sneer. “We’re not stopping you.”

Dick watched them fiddle with the phone before he chuckled quietly. “Wait...do you guys not know Bruce’s number?”

“Well it’s not like he publicizes it!” the captor screamed.

Dick sighed. “You know, you could ask me,” he told them. “I do happen to know his number.”

The captor narrowed his eyes. “And you’d give us Wayne’s number? You wouldn’t screw us over with a cop’s number?”

“Course not,” Dick replied, flashing them a grin. “It’ll be Bruce’s number. I promise.”

“Fine.”

 

…………

 

Dick did not, in fact, give them Bruce’s number.

 

………

 

Slade smirked up at Bruce from where he was lounging on the couch of Wayne Manor.

“You know, since Richard and I are engaged now, it’s only fair that the two of us try to get along.”

“Don’t think I approve,” Bruce snapped. “Not for a second.”

“B, we all know you hate it,” Tim said. “It’s why Dick didn’t tell you.”

“Why are you here, exactly?” Jason asked.

“Why are you?” Slade returned, a light in his eye that put Jason on edge.

“Because believe it or not, B and I got along now,” Jason replied. He looked over at Bruce who was still glaring at Slade. “Well...sometimes.”

“I’m here because Richard insisted we needed to get along,” Slade replied.

“Where is Dick, anyway?”

“Enjoying the apartment to himself.”

Slade’s phone went off. He looked down and frowned when he did recognize the number. Still, he answered.

“Hello?”

“ Hello Mr. Wayne. ”

Slade raised an eyebrow, glancing at Bruce before he went on with the charade. “Yes, this is he.”

“ We have your son. ”

Slade tried very hard not to snort, his next comment getting everyone’s attention. “Which one? I have four.”

“ The eldest. Richard. ”

Slade just barely kept himself calm. Dick must have given these men his number instead of Bruce’s. Good. It meant Slade could do things his way.

“Ah, yes,” Slade replied, getting to his feet. “And I presume you want money for his safe return?”

“ Duh .”

Slade chuckled quietly. “Of course. I’ll have the money.”

“ Sure, let’s discuss a drop off point. ”

“No need,” Slade declared. “I’ll call you when I get the money.” he ended the call ad turned to find Dick’s extensive family watching him.

“So what’s up?” Jason asked. “A drug deal?”

“Richard has been kidnapped for ransom and he gave the captors my number as opposed to yours. Which means he’s giving me permission to do things my way.”

“Which means what?” Tim asked, incredibly suspicious.

Slade’s responding smile was predatory. “It means I have Nightwing’s blessing to kill these men.”

 

………

 

Dick was bored out of his mind. It had been about two hours since the men had called Slade. Dick just hoped his fiance hadn’t mentioned that Dick was okay with him killing because boy, that was going to be a fun thing to explain later.

He had just tilted his head back when he caught the barest flash of silver and orange. He resisted the urge to grin as he tilted his head back.

“Excuse me?” he called, getting the attention of his captor. “I totally forgot to tell you something.”

His captor heaved a loud sigh. “What?!” he demanded.

Dick grinned. “I gave you Deathstroke’s phone number by mistake.”

Dick closed his eyes then, just as the first gunshot rang out. He might be okay with Slade killing people, but that most certainly did not mean he liked to watch.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he felt a glove hand on his cheek and opened his eyes to find Slade - decked out as Deathstroke without the mask - standing over him.

“Took you long enough,” Dick said with a sigh as Slade moved behind him to untie his hands.

“Sorry about that,” Slade replied, placing a hand on Dick’s back as the acrobat stood and stretched, his arms and legs sore from sitting in one position for several hours. “I was at the manor. Had to run back to the apartment to grab my things then I had to track you down.”

“Should we head back to the apartment then?” Dick asked. “I don’t think I want to explain to my family why Nightwing gives Deathstroke permission kill people.”

“That’s certainly a discussion for another time,” Slade agreed. “Home it is then. Oh. And Dick?”

“Yes?”

Dick shivered at the look Slade gave him. “You don’t give me permission to do anything.”

Dick chuckled. “Oh, you’re right. My bad. That’s a privilege I get once we’re married.”

Slade huffed. “You’ve been talking to Adeline.”

“Of course,” Dick replied brightly. “I needed some advice on how to handle you.”

Slade snorted. “She hates me, I assume.”

“No,” Dick replied. “But she may or may not hunt you down for a lecture in a few days.”

“Oh that’s wonderful.”

Chapter 2

Notes:

takes place right when Slade is leaving in but before he gets to Dick in chapter 1

Also, I will eventually be changing chapter 1 so that Slade just (seriously) injures the kidnappers instead of killing them because I think it's way too out of character for Dick to ever be okay with Slade killing some rather unprofessional kidnappers.

 

So this chapter has been written with that in mind

Also, thanks to futurecullen26 for giving me the idea of writing a chapter 2!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Richard has been kidnapped for ransom and he gave the captors my number as opposed to yours. Which means he’s giving me permission to do things my way.”

“Which means what?” Tim asked, incredibly suspicious.

Slade’s responding smile was predatory. “It means I have Nightwing’s blessing to kill these men.”

Slade stood and within seconds, Bruce was on his feet and blocking the mercenary from leaving.

“I won’t let you,” he growled.

Slade regarded him calmly. “Yes, well, I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m not one of your little toys , hm?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “Dick is my son.”

“And he’s my fiance,” Slade returned. “And it’s my number he gave his captors, not yours.” He bade Bruce a surprisingly genuine smile. “Good day.”

He took one step forward before Bruce was planting a hand on his chest. The contact had Slade going absolutely still almost instantly, slowly looking down at the contact before lifting his gaze to Bruce.

Damian, Jason, and Tim watched as Slade took a very deep breath, shifting his shoulders and remarked in a tone completely even and void of emotion.

“I’d appreciate it if you moved your hand. Now.”

“And if I don’t?” Bruce challenged, because he had faced down worse than an angry mercenary two to three inches taller than himself.

“Or I will snap your arm like a twig.”

Before Bruce could try and challenge that declaration, Jason stepped up between the two of them, being sure to give Slade personal space and not make physical contact with the man.

Jason didn’t know what Dick saw in the man but he saw something , so Jason figured that meant it was his problem to sort this out.

“Hey, so as much as I would absolutely love to watch the two of you get into an absolute fistfight, there is the slightly small matter of Dick still being kidnapped.” he looked over at Bruce. “B, buddy? I know you really don’t like Slade, but Dick’s kinda in trouble right now so I feel like he should take priority over your hatred of his fiance.” Jason nodded to where Bruce still had a hand on Slade’s chest. “How about we stop touching the angry, possessive mercenary, okay?” To Slade, he said. “But feel free to come back and break his arm later, after you help Dick.” His eyes went wide. “Could you break his arm with one hand?”

“Easily,” Slade replied, without taking his eyes off Bruce.

“Hey, that’s super cool,” Jason said, nodding. “You are absolutely welcome to come back and show me that after you save Dick.” To Bruce, he said. “B, come on. Let him go.”

“We don’t kill,” Bruce growled, as he finally removed his hand and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Yes, well,” Slade drawled as he strolled past Bruce. “I do.”

 

…………………………

Several hours later

 

“So, Bruce managed to track down the location where the captors were keeping Dick hostage.”

“Oh?” Jason asked, looking up at Tim. “What did he find?”

“Blood,” Tim replied. “And bullet cases.”

“Bodies?”

“None,” Tim replied. 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “ Really ?” he asked, shocked. “So Slade didn’t kill anyone?”

“Not on site, at least,” Tim replied. “I mean, they could have died after escaping, but he didn’t directly kill anyone.”

“Oh, Bruce won’t care,” Jason remarked. “All he’ll care about is the fact that Slade used guns.”

“Why does father hate Wilson so much?”

Jason and Tim raised their eyebrows at Damian before Jason said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“It’s not as though father has never engaged in copulation with a criminal,” Damian pointed out. “Mother and Catwoman come to mind.”

“True, but Slade’s a little worse,” Jason pointed out.

Damian scoffed. “I highly disagree,” he drawled. 

“Yeah, I’m sure you do.”

“My point is that father’s hatred for Wilson is rather short-sighted, when one considers those father has taken to bed in the past.”

“How are you not utterly weirded out by talking about your dad having sex?”

“My sexual training began at the age of four,” Damian declared. “And I have witnessed my mother using the act of coitus for information from the age of six.”

“Wow, sometimes I forget how weird Talia is,” Jason said with a chuckle. Damian clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes before turning and walking away. Once he was gone, Jason turned to Tim. “So how pissed is Bruce?”

“I actually think he’s angrier than he would have been if he’d found corpses. He’s called Dick like, seven times.”

“Has Dick ever answered?”

“No, but from what I could tell, Slade picked up on the last call.”

Jason sighed, smiling as he settled further back into the couch. “Man, I’m sure glad I’m not the most hated member of this family right now.”

“I don’t think Bruce hates Dick-”

“No no, I mean Slade.”

“I’m pretty sure Bruce is gonna have a heart attack if he hears anyone referring to Slade as a member of the family.”

“Yes, well, in a year he’s going to have to suck it up and deal with it because Slade will be family, legal. May as well get him used to it now, right?”

“You just want an excuse to annoy him, don’t you?”

Jason beamed. “Aw, you know me so well!”

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